Learning to Cry

The bond between a father and daughter is strong enough to weather the most violent storms, but it can also bring savage heartache. From the moment Melissa enters this world in a flurry of chaos and happiness, she holds and manipulates her father's love. There is no way to predict the roller-coaster ride they face. Almost overnight, Melissa's father loses his sweet, little girl. Left in her place is an erratic, unstable, deeply unhappy teenager who is hell-bent on obliterating boundaries and pushing her father, as well as her mother and sisters, to the breaking point. Caught in the middle of her parents' divorce, she doesn't hide her disdain for the rules. But she goes to great lengths to keep her father ignorant of just how far into trouble she falls or how she's trapped by three "friends" from whom there is no escape. Overwhelmed by the stress his crumbling marriage causes, Melissa's father struggles to keep his own life together while trying to save his daughter from the point of no return. He finds himself, alone, bound by his own four walls, drowning in loneliness and tears. Melissa's father, it seems, will have to lose it all to bring her back from the brink.

Literature & Fiction

Christopher C. Payne

Genre Fiction

JournalStone

The bond between a father and daughter is strong enough to weather the most violent storms, but it can also bring savage heartache. From the moment Melissa enters this world in a flurry of chaos and happiness, she holds and manipulates her father's love. There is no way to predict the roller-coaster ride they face. Almost overnight, Melissa's father loses his sweet, little girl. Left in her place is an erratic, unstable, deeply unhappy teenager who is hell-bent on obliterating boundaries and pushing her father, as well as her mother and sisters, to the breaking point. Caught in the middle of her parents' divorce, she doesn't hide her disdain for the rules. But she goes to great lengths to keep her father ignorant of just how far into trouble she falls or how she's trapped by three "friends" from whom there is no escape. Overwhelmed by the stress his crumbling marriage causes, Melissa's father struggles to keep his own life together while trying to save his daughter from the point of no return. He finds himself, alone, bound by his own four walls, drowning in loneliness and tears. Melissa's father, it seems, will have to lose it all to bring her back from the brink.

Payne, Christopher C.

Duncan's Diary, Birth of a Serial Killer

Duncan is in the throes of a mid-life crisis and searching for his own identity. His problems seem no different than other men facing the same issues, but as he struggles through a divorce and the challenges of co-parenting his children, Duncan soon realizes that he feels complete inside only when he begins to secretly explore a world of torture and death-a world that only he controls. Suddenly, Duncan's life is no longer normal at all. As Duncan deals with his newfound guilty pleasure of destruction and wickedness, his diary entries reflect a roller coaster psychological journey. Duncan grapples with the ramifications of what he is becoming, but at the same time, graphically describes the deaths of several of his victims. Clearly a man caught between his morals and an evil calling. Duncan leads a seemingly typical life during the day, but in the dark of night becomes a monster. Only one man suspects what Duncan is capable of-his best friend, Sudhir, a detective in the Palo Alto Police Department. Despite Duncan's cries for help penned on the pages of his diary, he becomes a master at hiding his transformation from "the guy next door" to a masterful serial killer.

Duncan is in the throes of a mid-life crisis and searching for his own identity. His problems seem no different than other men facing the same issues, but as he struggles through a divorce and the challenges of co-parenting his children, Duncan soon realizes he feels complete inside only when he begins to secretly explore a world of torture and death-a world that only he controls. Suddenly, Duncan's life is no longer normal at all. As Duncan deals with his newfound guilty pleasure of destruction and wickedness, his diary entries reflect a roller coaster psychological journey. Duncan grapples with the ramifications of what he is becoming, but at the same time, graphically describes the deaths of several of his victims. Clearly a man caught between his morals and an evil calling. Duncan leads a seemingly typical life during the day, but in the dark of night becomes a monster. Only one man suspects what Duncan is capable of-his best friend, Sudhir, a detective in the Palo Alto Police Department. Despite Duncan's cries for help penned on the pages of his diary, he becomes a master at hiding his transformation from "the guy next door" to a masterful serial killer.

The Gargoyle Prophecies, Part I, the Savior Rises

With a tattered Raggedy Ann doll as her only companion, Stefani has spent her entire life immersed in self isolation. As a 10-year-old child she was the lone witness to her mother's murder. She vowed to find the man who robbed her of all she held dear in the world and ensure he suffers as she has before he takes his final breath. Her childhood is consumed with training in the hopes of one day finding the scar-faced killer. But her world up-ends as her 21st birthday looms when she discovers she isn't the hunter. She is the one being hunted, and her predators are not human. Stefani finally opens herself up for the first time, allowing Dennis into her life, revealing her emotions to her hopeful protector. But her fear and confusion mount when he reveals he is a gargoyle - and she is, as well. Dennis claims Stefani is the key to the future of the gargoyle world. She is the Chosen One, and she is in danger. Dark forces covet her imminent power and will use any means to steal it. Stefani's mind swims with peril she neither understands nor is sure she believes. She questions everything, including her grip on reality. As Stefani battles the damned across the globe, she searches for answers about her identity. Is she truly the savior of an inhuman race or has her solitude and the trauma of her mother's death finally infected her sanity?

Science Fiction & Fantasy

Fantasy

Joe Ledger: Secret Missions Volume One

Joe Ledger is back!\nJOE LEDGER: SECRET MISSIONS collects some of Ledger's most dynamic and bizarre short story adventures -classic reprints as well as exciting new material! From the icy wastes of the Antarctic to the Gate of Hell in Turkmenistan, Ledger and his team are the last, best hope that stands between the unsuspecting public and unimaginable dangers!\nStories include crossovers with Maberry's many fictional and bestselling worlds including V-WARS (Netflix), the Pine Deep Trilogy, the Sam Hunter Case Files, Dead of Night, and Rot & Ruin. Even if you've never read a Joe Ledger tale, this is a great jumping-on point; and if you're a longtime fan, you'll encounter old friends and enemies - Mr. Church, Echo Team, Havoc Team, Malcolm Crow and Mike Sweeney, Violin, Toys, and more!\nAnd there are special treats! An insightful introduction by bestseller Peter Clines (The Fold, 14); a collaboration with author Marie Whittaker; and a brief glimpse into Mr. Church as he takes a rare day off, penned by the 'voice of Joe Ledger, ' audiobook reader Ray Porter.\nSo buckle up, lock and load, and go rolling into action with Joe Ledger! Hooah!

MABERRY, JONATHAN

Joe Ledger: Secret Missions Volume Two

Joe Ledger is back! JOE LEDGER: SECRET MISSIONS collects some of Ledger's most dynamic and bizarre short story adventures -classic reprints as well as exciting new material! From the icy wastes of the Antarctic to the Gate of Hell in Turkmenistan, Ledger and his team are the last, best hope that stands between the unsuspecting public and unimaginable dangers! Stories include crossovers with Maberry's many fictional and bestselling worlds including V-WARS (Netflix), the Pine Deep Trilogy, the Sam Hunter Case Files, Dead of Night, and Rot & Ruin. Even if you've never read a Joe Ledger tale, this is a great jumping-on point; and if you're a longtime fan, you'll encounter old friends and enemies - Mr. Church, Echo Team, Havoc Team, Malcolm Crow and Mike Sweeney, Violin, Toys, and more! And there are special treats! An insightful introduction by bestseller Peter Clines (The Fold, 14); a collaboration with author Marie Whittaker; and a brief glimpse into Mr. Church as he takes a rare day off, penned by the 'voice of Joe Ledger, ' audiobook reader Ray Porter. So buckle up, lock and load, and go rolling into action with Joe Ledger! Hooah!

"Mike Thorn brings his masterful skill with immersive language and style to this beautiful and disturbing collection." - Laurel Hightower, author of Crossroads and Whispers in the Dark\n"With Peel Back and See, Mike Thorn plants one bloody foot in the history of horror and the other firmly in its future." - Sam Richard, author of Sabbath of the Fox-Devils and To Wallow in Ash & Other Sorrows\nIn spaces both familiar and strange, unknowable horrors lurk.\nFrom the recesses of the Internet, where cosmic terror shows its face on an endless live feed, to a museum celebrating the sordid legacy of an occultist painter, this chilling collection of sixteen short stories will plunge you into the eerie, pessimistic imagination of Mike Thorn. Peel Back and See urges its readers to look closer, to push past surface-level appearances and face the things that stir below.\n"Mike Thorn's Peel Back and See is a stunning show-stopper of a fiction collection." - Eric LaRocca, author of Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke

Peel Back and See

Thorn, Mike

An experiment gone wrong overloads thirteen year-old Oumou's psychokinetic abilities and strands her in the tiny town of Archwood, North Carolina. Free from the dismal research lab that has been her home as long as she can remember, she is taken in by a kind family, and finds in their daughter, Amanda, something she's never had: a friend. For the first time, she feels happy. However, she quickly realizes that things are not as perfect as they seem... The local reverend and his followers begin to single her out, and violently conspire against her. Memories she'd long forgotten come back to haunt her. A shadowy figure with no eyes stalks the darkness and wants to claim her for its own dark designs. As these forces work to break Oumou down, her only points of solace are her new friend, and a bitter reporter with a strange ability of his own. They'll have to fight together to stave off the encroaching darkness both of, and out of, this world. "Jackson does not mince words, and he does not pull punches. What claws from these shadows is both an unflinching confrontation with a violent world and a much-needed meditation on what it means to be fearless." - Hailey Piper, author of The Worm and His Kings "A creepy fun thrill ride, perfect for the lovers of supernatural scares" -V.P. Morris, author of Shadowcast "An exhilarating ride! Vaughn A. Jackson knows how to keep readers on the edge of their seats." - Samantha Kolesnik, author of True Crime

Touched by Shadows

Jackson, Vaughn A.

United States

See the best price to sell, buy or rent books by the JournalStone publisher. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by JournalStone

See the best price to sell, buy or rent books by the JournalStone publisher. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Learning to Cry

Learning to Cry

Duncan's Diary, Birth of a Serial Killer

Duncan's Diary, Birth of a Serial Killer

The Gargoyle Prophecies, Part I, the Savior Rises

The Gargoyle Prophecies, Part I, the Savior Rises

Joe Ledger: Secret Missions Volume One

Joe Ledger: Secret Missions Volume Two

Peel Back and See

Touched by Shadows